Elevator signal



July 13 1926. 1,592,399

' P. s..vAN BLOEM ELEVATOR SIGNAL Filed May 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Paul Schuyler Vqn Bloem BY I ATTORNEY 5 1 P. S. VAN BLOE IM ELEVATOR SIGNAL Filed May 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll'llllllllllllll ll v I gvnii:aiiiiizgu29455155.: 2252223 INVENTQR Pbu? Jc/lujler VanBIoem.

ATTORNEY 5 Patented July l3, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT-ori ce.

PAUL SCHUYLER VAN BLOEM, OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW' YORK, CO VIKING.

PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

ELEVATOR SIGNAL.

Application filed May 6,

The main object of this inventionr is to' providean elevator signal consisting of aglass receptacle or container with an electric light mounted therein and adapted to be F lighted by the moving car, and to provide said glass receptacle or container with an exterior light-reflecting and deflecting surface so that when the electric lamp within the container is unlighted the exterior hght rays will be reflected back from the surface of the container in such manner as to conceal the color of the glass and any indicating signal concealed within. This exterior light-reflecting surface is produced by a surface treatment of the glassand is of such character that when the electric lamp Within the container is lighted the light rays from the lamp will pass outwardly through the glass container and completely destroy or obliterate the light-reflecting character of the exterior of the receptacle. destroying the character ofthe light-reflecting surface of the glass receptacle, the true color of the glass appears. WVith the lamp extinguished the light-reflectingsurface conceals the color of the glass andthat color is only revealed by light rays passing throughthe receptacle. I Y

Elevator signals are usually mounted in" pairs, one indicating the up-travel of the elevator car and the other indicating the down-travel thereof. Up-and-down signals usually are differently colored, the upesignal being usually white although green fre quently is used, and the down-signal bemg usually red, although other colors are sometimes used. It is one of the important ob jects of this invention to so treat the exteriors of the receptacles or containers that, with the lamps extinguished, boththe upanddown signals have thesame general ex- 7 terior appearance and the color of the glass is concealed until the signal lamp is lighted. Glass having a. luster finish or surface is By thus lamp now vmanufactured by a number of glass 1924. Serial No. 711,370.

making concerns in the United States. "Two of the well known concerns making this glass are the LOUIS G. Tiffany Furnaces,

Inc, of Corona, New York, and the Corning I lass lVorks of Corning, New York. It is a 'commonarticle of. commerce. Applicant does not know the exact method used in the production of this ,luster finish Luster glass has an iridescent exterior surface.

which is brilliantly illuminated by light rays and said rays are reflected back from the surface in many beautiful colors. The ex,-

terior light-reflecting surface of luster finish might be compared with an iridescent oil and water film. The iridescence is brilliantly brought out bythe reflected light rays, but wholly disappears when light rays are passed through the glass from the interior outwardly. The result of this is that while the interior of the receptacle'is dark the exterior is brilliantly iridescent. When however, the interior of the receptacle isil-, luminated the 'IIlClGSCQIlCG disappears and the true color of the glass is disclosed. The I iridescent exterior surface is produced in the manufacture of the glass, andis not a film ,or coating merelyapplied to the exterior of The iridescence therefore is as i the glass, permanent, as the glass and is an integral part of the glass. j

In the drawings, Figure in tion of an elevator. signal constructed in accordance with this-invention, and without interior illumination;

Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the up signal illuminated by an enclosed lamp;

Fig. 3 a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the downsignal illuminated by an enclosed Fig. 4 a View of the device shownin Fig. 1.;

Fig. 5 a horizontal sectionalview taken Fig. 8 a detail sectional view of a portion of the light receptacle or container showing its outer surface roughened or indented.

a front elevavertical longitudinal sectional Referring to the various parts by nuinerals, 1 designates a basefp'late' or frame adapted to be secured toa wallor other support. This supportingplate or frame may be of any desired form. As shown it is illustrated as a sheet metal plate having an ornamental molding edge. The frame 1 carries the upper glass-holding frame 2 and the lower glass holding frame 3. Intermediate these two glass holding frames is a central horizontal division wall l which is provided with a retaining flange 5 adapted to serve as means for retaining-the glasses in the holding frames 2 and 3. The division wall l separates the upper light-receptacle 6 from the lower light receptacle 7. Supported between the frame 2 and the wall 4 is a semi-cylindrical glass globe or container 8, said globe forming the light receptacle or chamber 6. ll ithin the chamber 6 is arranged an electric light bulb 9. The circuit wires from said light-bulb pass through the plate 1, and are connected to the usual contact devices and electrical supply by means of which the circuit will be completed through the lamp by the elevator at a certain point in its travel up and down. in the elevator shaft. These devices may be of any the light receptacle or chamber suitable form and it is thought to be unnecessary to illustrate them or to describe them herein. Supported between the frame 3' and the wall 4 is a semi-cylindrical glass globe or container 10, said globe forming 7. lVithin the chamber 7 is arranged an electric light bulb 11. The circuit wires from said light bulb pass through the plate 1 and are connected ultimately to the usual contact devices carried by the car.

The globe S is'provided with an up indicating character and the globe 10 is pro vided with a suitable down indicating character. These globes are preferably of different colors. In the drawingsthe up indicating signal lens or globe 8 is shaded to indicate green and the down indicating globe 10 is shaded to indicate red.

The direction indicating characters are shown in the form of arrows impressed in the inner surface of the glass so that the glass of the arrow is much thinner than the body of the. globe. The purpose of this is to secure a more brilliant illumination of the arrow than the body of the globe when the lamp is lighted, while at the same time the arrow will be of the same color asthe globe-but of a lighter shade.

The exterior surfaces of the globes are made rough wit-h minute indentations in purpose being to produce a myriad of small light reflecting surfaces in the exterior surface of the glass. In the manufacture of the globes the exterior surface is treated to produce an iridescent surface which reflects light rays from the globes. The capacity of the iridescent surface to reflect light rays is increased by the slightly roughened surface. The iridescent effect is secured by a treat ment of the glass in its manufacture and this iridesccnce is of such character that when the globe is illuminated from within, the light rays pass outwardly through the glass and the iridescence on the exterior of the glass is temporarily destroyed and disappears. lVith the globe unillumi'nated the iridescent exterior of the glass conceals or obliterates the color of the glass and both the up and down globes will appear to be of the same iridescence without any distinguishing color in the upper and lower globes. hen, however, the upper globe is illuminated as indicated in Fig. 3 by lighting the lamp within it the iridesceneeon the exterior of the globe disappears and the green color of the globe is disclosed. The arrows in the. upper illuminated globe will appear green like the body of the globe but of a lighter shade. The arrows will be more brilliantly illuminated than the body of the globe because they are thinner than thebody of the globe, thus permitting. morelight rays to pass through with less absorption than through the thicker part.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the up and down signals 12 and 13 are in cylindrical form supported on a bracket in the manner of alight fixture. Back of the signals is arranged a mirror 14:, said mirror giving an added ornamental appearance to the fixture and giving a more brilliant illumination to the signals when the lamps are lighted.

What I claim is:

l. A directional signal in the form of cover means fora lamp, comprising a translucent signal colored glass member adapted to extend across the lamp and. conceal it, means for supporting said glass member in lamp-concealing position, and a directionindicating character at the innersurface of said glass member, the exterior surface of said member having a signal obscuring hght-reflectmg iridescent surface to con.-

trast with the aforesaid. color of the body of the glass and adapted to conceal both the direction-indicating character and the color of the body of the glass when not illuminated, the exterior color beingtemporari'ly' destroyedby light passing through the glass from the interior of the cover means, whereby when said glass member is illuminated by the lamp the exterior surface color will disappear, the color. of the glassbody will be apparent and the signal character will be visible.

2. A directional signal in the form of cover means for a lamp, comprising a trans lucent signal colored glass member arranged surface whereby the glass outlining said dimotion-Indicating character W111 be thinner than the body of the glass, f0l the purpose set forth, the exterior surface'of said memher being treated so as to have a signalobscuring, light-reflecting integral, iridescent surface to contrast with the aforesaid color of the body of the glass and adapted to conceal both the direction-indicating character and the color of the body of the glass when not illuminated, the exterior color being temporarily destroyed'by light passing through the glass from'the interior PAUL SCHUYLER VAN BYLOEM.

of the cover means, whereby when said glass I member 15 lllumlnated by the lamp the exterior surface color W111 d sappear, the sig-v 1 

